Lafayette fire crews douse city truck that burst into flames at service shops

By Joe Rubino For Hometown Weekly

Posted:
02/14/2013 10:12:34 AM MST

Fire crews doused a city-owned diesel-powered truck that burst into flames at 1700 Avalon Ave. in Lafayette on Wednesday night, Feb. 13, after officials say a short in the engine block ignited the fire.

Meanwhile, a nearby neighbor reported that the fire produced a pair of small explosions that she could physically feel in her backyard.

Emergency dispatchers confirmed that at 8:44 p.m. calls came in about a possible structure fire at 1700 Avalon, less than a quarter mile from Lamont Does Memorial Park. It was later determined that there was actually a vehicle on fire at the scene.

Lafayette police Cpl. Brian Hill reported that the vehicle was a city-owned pickup truck. City firefighters said that the fire likely started when the engine block heater shorted out, Hill said.

Neighborhood resident Kaiti Trimble reported that she heard a pair of explosions come from the area of the fire and felt "a little bit of a jolt" pass through her backyard at the same time as she saw emergency vehicles speeding to the scene shortly after 9 p.m.

"I heard a few sirens, but we hear them heading up and down South Boulder Road all the time so I didn't think much of it," Trimble said. "Then I heard something that sounded like either a dump truck crashing or explosions... then a bunch more sirens."

Trimble, who lives about a block from the scene on Sagrimore Circle, said the entire neighborhood smelled like burning rubber or some other acrid aroma.

Hill said the explosions heard -- and fel t-- by Trimble were likely tires on the truck exploding as a result of the heat of the fire.

He said fire crews were able to quickly extinguish the blaze before it damaged any other city property.

Hill said he was unsure if the truck would be salvageable or if it was totally destroyed by the fire.